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Friday, December 13, 2013

This is my fourth Sew Sweetness bag and all the patterns have been easy to follow with great results! Sarah and Sew, Mama, Sew are sponsoring a bag-making contest using Sew Sweetness patterns. There have been dozens of gorgeous bags entered! Check them out here.

Here is my version of the free Sawyer Bag tutorial from Sew Sweetness. This is a simple, tote style bag that measures approx. 16"L x 14"w x 3"D. It has long accent handle strips and O-ring hardware for some detail. It would be a great beginner bag or quick gift. This bag took about 4 hrs to sew because of the quilting, but otherwise would be about a 2 hr project.

I like to have a bag closure and decided to add a recessed zippered top panel. I used a technique similar to this tutorial from Charmed Liebling. It would also be quick & easy to add a magnetic snap closure instead. No pockets are included in the original pattern, so I added a double patch pocket and zippered pocket inside, along with a key clasp. I also substituted D-rings, as I could not find O-rings locally.

I am a very novice quilter, but I was inspired after seeing some Quilt-as-you-go blocks, as shown in this tutorial (also a great bag pattern!) and this one. I had purchased a big bag of designer scraps from the Michael Levine Loft store in LA for only $2 and thought this would be a perfect chance to use them. Most of the fabrics I chose were in greens & blues from Free Spirit designers. Both the front and back panels are quilted.

The quilting was done on cotton batting. I used Pellon 70 to add stiffness and shape to the lining and a heavy interfacing for the straps. I like to use one of my older, mechanical sewing machines, a Viking 1010 or Pfaff 360, for bag-making. They are great for sewing through heavy fabrics & interfacings, something my low-end Janome can't handle.

If one can ignore the not-so-straight quilting and imperfect rectangles, this is a fantastic bag! I am really happy with it. It will be hard to give away this Christmas!

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Sew, Mama, Sew's Giveaway Day is here again! I've enjoyed visiting hundreds of blogs during their Giveaway Days and even won a few prizes along the way. I'm happy you've found your way to Mama Lusco Handmade.

Jocole's Ladies A-Line Yoga Skirt

I'm a busy wife, registered nurse and mom of 3 who enjoys sewing clothing and bags. Someday I'd like to try quilting, but at this point I enjoy quick, easy sewing projects. My blog has been somewhat neglected the past 2 years, but I share my sewing projects, pattern & product reviews and host giveaways here on the blog.

Self-drafted Guitar Bag

I am most active on my Facebook page and would love to have you following! I'm also on Pinterest here, where I love to share free patterns & tutorials for bags, clothing, kids, toys and home décor.

Swoon Rosie Bag

This Giveaway Day, I am offering A set of Pink Fig patterns, the Olivia top No. 3 and the Sweet Heart pants No. 16. These paper patterns are new and uncut, for sizes 12 mo - 10 yrs. I'm also including a set of jumbo ric-rac, perfect for trimming the patterns. To enter, please tell me what you like to sew and leave a link to your favorite free tutorial. A winner will be chosen randomly on Dec 13th at 5 pm, PST. Good luck and I'd love for you to follow the blog, on Facebook, or Pinterest.

Enjoy visiting all the blogs during Giveaway Day. Return to Sew, Mama, Sew blog to find more links. Thanks for stopping by and Merry Christmas!